Danielle Cormack's Beautiful Heart

Danielle Cormack. Photo: Getty

When New Zealand-born actress Danielle Cormack first started sponsoring a young girl through ChildFund, she didn't realise she had embarked on a life-long friendship — and a charitable partnership.

RELATED: Meet WHO's Most Beautiful People of 2016

Twelve years later, "she still loves hearing stories about my experiences and my life," Cormack says about her pen pal. As for ChildFund, "they approached me about becoming an ambassador of their organisation, which I accepted and have worked with them now for five or six years, and I have travelled in the field with them."

Danielle Cormack. Photo: Getty

For her active work on behalf of the poverty-fighting non-profit, the Wentworth actress joins seven other A-list stars in a portfolio of Beautiful Hearts for WHO's 2016 Most Beautiful People issue.

"I like that ChildFund has always invited the communities to tell them what they need with a view to be sustainable, with a view to functioning on their own," Cormack says. "Like the song goes, children are our future."

As the mother of two sons, Cormack adds, "It's important to instil in anyone the capacity to give to those who are less privileged. It might just be your time. It doesn't have to be a financial donation. Sometimes it's just a matter of reaching out."

Danielle Cormack. Photo: Getty

In Cormack's household, her eldest son has a correspondence with a boy from Brazil through a relationship she activated. "They were pen pals, and he would have to work for a little bit to make the money for the sponsorship," Cormack says.

Now her youngest son "is coming up to the age where I should probably get a sponsorship with someone else," Cormack says. "They get a pen pal — and it's a joy to receive a letter from the other side of the world in the letterbox. And kids love sharing their stories. My son is able to tell his sponsored child in Brazil what is going on, and the kids love knowing what's happening in the world."

To find out more about Cormack and ChildFund, and to read more about how stars such as Angelina Jolie, Alicia Keys, David Pocock and Christina Aguilera are making a difference, pick up WHO's Most Beautiful People issue, on sale now.